Elite 2

County and new area rivals Donoho and Pleasant Valley headed for showdown for Class 2A volleyball title after both won a pair of Elite 8 matches Tuesday

By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today

BIRMINGHAM – For all the matches they’ve played this season and all the matches they’ve played against each other, it all comes down to this.

It’ll be an All-Calhoun County final in the Class 2A volleyball championship match Wednesday after Donoho and Pleasant Valley both won a pair of matches in the Elite 8 in the Birmingham Crossplex.

Donoho defeated Washington County 3-1 and G.W. Long 3-0. Pleasant Valley swept Tuscaloosa Academy and Bayshore Christian.

The Lady Falcons (43-14) and Lady Raiders (35-15) will play for the 2A title in the adjacent Bill Harris Arena Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. Earlier in the day at the Crossplex, Ohatchee (3A) and Oxford (6A) will open their bids for a state title.

“I am very very excited to be in the final and truly think there’s no doubt we deserve to be there,” first-year Donoho coach Anna Taylor said. “Today, especially, after seeing everybody playing, we definitely deserve to be there. We earned our spot and we’re very eager for our championship match.”

There should be no secrets. The teams have met five times already this season, most recently in the North regional final. PV won their first meeting in the Fort Payne tournament, then Donoho won the last next four.

“I’m still processing it, really,” Taylor said of the all-county matchup. “Frankly, there’s only one game now that matters.”

“Tomorrow is a new day and I’m excited to be in the finals with them,” PV coach Dana Bryant said. “I think it’s fabulous that Calhoun County is represented by two volleyball teams in the championship. I think we’re just both going to have fun tomorrow.”

It’s reminiscent of the 2006 state finals when Saks and Jacksonville met for the Class 4A crown. Saks came back after losing the first set badly to win in four sets. 

This Class 2A final is truly an intersection of programs. Donoho moved up from Class 1A due to their success as a private school — the Lady Falcons have won the 1A title two of the last three years and played for it in the other — while Pleasant Valley dropped down to 2A because of population.

For the Lady Raiders, the run to the finals has been a testament to their perseverance. They already were a young team to begin with, then early in the year their roster was reduced to a Magnificent Seven by a variety of circumstances.

“At the very beginning of the season I can’t tell you how many people came up and made negative comments because we were such a young team this year,” Bryant said. “It presented a challenge to the players and to me and they rose to the challenge.

“They’ve had several obstacles to overcome, but they just haven’t let anything stop them. We’ve had several setbacks, had our ups and downs this season of trying to figure out how to make it work, and we’ve just really had to develop as a team. When it comes right down it, they did what they had to do.”

Bryant said her team played “phenomenally” Tuesday, keeping the pressure on from start to finish “better than probably it had been all season.” Outside hitter Allie Bryant led PV with 22 kills and 17 digs. Middle hitter Lily Henry had 13 kills, three blocks and 10 digs; Maddie Schwabe had 11 digs and 31 assists and Madison Schwabe had 15 digs and four kills. 

The Lady Raiders were missing right side hitter Ellie Patterson due to illness, but libero Madi Hay stepped up and played a strong game all around the floor. It is hoped Patterson will be able to return for the championship match.

It was such a proud moment for the Lady Raiders getting to the championship match, when they clinched it, they raced over the stands to lead the student section in a cheer Bryant hadn’t heard in a while.

“Right after the game my girls went and joined in the stands and (chanted) ‘It’s great to be a Valley Raider,’” Bryant said. “That’s a cheer that hadn’t been done, gosh, in a long time. That’s a traditional cheer for the Valley. I was up there cheering with them. It’s probably posted on Facebook somewhere pumping my fist.”

Donoho got contributions across the board in its two victories as well. Lily Grace Draper had 27 kills and 27 digs in the two matches. Mary Marshall Perry had 15 total kills, Estella Connell nine blocks and Sam Wakefield 66 assists. Ryals Jones had six blocks in the Washington County match and Ansley Simmons had seven kills in the G.W. Long match.

CLASS 2A TOURNAMENT
Elite 8
Pleasant Valley 3, Tuscaloosa Academy 0 (25-8, 25-14, 25-20)
Bayshore Christian 3, Fyffe 0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-16)
G.W. Long 3, Lindsay Lane 1 (19-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21)
Donoho 3, Washington County 1 (25-13, 25-20, 23-25, 25-14)

Semifinals
Donoho 3, G.W. Long 0 (25-17, 25-7 25-19)
Pleasant Valley 3, Bayshore Christian 0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-14)

Championship Match
Wednesday, 2:30 p.m.
Donoho vs. Pleasant Valley

CLASS 1A TOURNAMENT
Elite 8
Spring Garden 3, Pleasant Home 0
Addison 3, Kinston 0
Covenant Christian 3, Brantley 1
Meek 3, University Charter 0

Semifinals
Addison 3, Spring Garden 0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-13)
Covenant Christian 3, Meek 1

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